Lawrence Shankland gets perfect Hearts present as fitness update issued ahead of Kilmarnock clash

Frankie McAvoy praised Lawrence Shankland for keeping Hearts’ European hopes alive with his crucial header against Rosenborg on Thursday night.

Lawrence Shankland scored Hearts' goal in the 2-1 defeat by Rosenborg in Trondheim.

The Gorgie side struggled in the first half of their Europa Conference League third round qualifier at the Lerkendal Stadion, with Emil Frederiksen putting the home side ahead in the first leg in the 14th minute before impressive attacker Jayden Nelson made it 2-0 in added time. After bringing on midfielder Peter Haring at half-time for the struggling Beni Baningime, who started for the first time in 17 months after recovering from a torn knee ligament, the Tynecastle side got into more of a groove. And in the 78th minute skipper Shankland, on his 28th birthday, rose to meet a Stephen Kingsley cross to head in his 30th Jambos goal, turning the tie back in the favour of the Edinburgh side ahead of the second leg next Thursday.

Head coach McAvoy told Hearts TV: “That’s only our second game, they are well into their season, they already had two games in the Conference League as well. They were undefeated in six as well, they are on a good run. There is probably not a lot of teams who will go there and dominate the ball as much against them as we probably did.

“But there was a lot of it too safe in the first half but in the second half we felt if we could get it a wee bit further and cause them some issues in the attacking part of the pitch we would get chances. And thankfully Lawrence was there to score a fantastic header from a great ball in from Stephen. He has been fantastic for Hearts and great to get the goal on his birthday, so a lot to play for next week.”

Hearts return to domestic action on Sunday when they welcome Kilmarnock to Tynecastle, before the return leg against Rosenborg next week. They could be without midfielder Beni Baningime, who came off in Trondheim with a hamstring complaint in his first start for 15 months, and while playmaker Barrie McKay is nearing a return, he will not be available for the visit of Derek McInnes’ men.